In striking down the regulations, Justice Leslie Stein of State Supreme Court in Albany ruled that they had been adopted improperly after the state missed a deadline for publication of a notice to inform the public of proposed changes in the rules.
The Chilcot Inquiry held its last public hearing in 2011 and although it has never set a deadline for publication, it was widely expected that the report would have been released by now.
If Heywood will not release the material requested, Sir John should set his own firm deadline for publication and for beginning the Maxwellisation process, under which those who might be criticised are warned by letter in advance.
However, the autumn deadline for publication passed, with officials complaining that the process of scanning and redaction – expected to cost about £1m – was proving even more complex than first thought.
The military government declared a state of emergency today and a curfew from Friday to Monday, covering the deadline for publication of the final list of candidates for a presidential election that is said to be the first step toward restoring civilian rule after a coup last December.
Although the inquiry team, led by Sir John Chilcot, has never set a target date or deadline for publication, it is generally accepted that the timetable for publication has slipped on several occasions.
Although the inquiry has never publicly set a deadline for publication, it has been plagued by delays with lengthy wrangling over what documents can be included in the final report.
But his shadow cabinet colleague Rachel Reeves said politicians should not set "arbitrary deadlines and targets" for publication.
"Sir John has refused the families' legal request to impose an effective timetable on the Maxwellisation process, thereby preventing any deadline being set for publication of the report," he said.
I work a lot in the after-midnight hours, to meet early-morning deadlines to deliver articles for publication, and to prepare campaign briefings and news releases for the coming day.
